Chapter 234
Henry followed his gaze and immediately read his mind.
"Waiting for Willow's call?" he asked.
Only then did Sterling tear his eyes from the phone to glance at Henry. His expression said it all.
Henry still had some conscience. Since this mess couldn't be separated from his mother's involvement, he naturally bore some responsibility too.
He reached for Sterling's phone. "What are you waiting for? At a time like this, as a man, you need to take the initiative."
With Maria standing between them, it wasn't hard to guess Willow's current position—she must be conflicted about whether to continue. If Sterling didn't make a move now and she got pressured into leaving by Maria, what then?
Henry held the phone in front of him, waiting for him to unlock it.
Sterling took it back and set it aside. "I want to let her make her own choice."
Henry looked stunned.
After a long moment, he couldn't help but marvel aloud. "Some people—when they're emotionally clueless, they're hopeless. But once they get it, they turn into complete romantics."
If it were him, he wouldn't care about Willow's feelings right now—he'd just want to keep her firmly in his grasp. Yet Sterling was actually giving her the option to choose.
"What if she chooses her grandmother..." Henry let the implication hang.
Sterling's gaze lowered. "I won't force her."
He could wait. As long as Willow still had feelings for him, he could keep waiting. They were still young. Time was on their side.
Henry's jaw practically dropped. He could hardly believe this was the same Sterling he'd grown up with—the guy who'd never understood human emotion.
Just as he was about to say more, Sterling's phone on the table lit up. Both of them looked at it simultaneously.
A message from Willow.
Henry was trying to read it when Sterling's hand appeared in his line of sight, picking up the phone.
"What'd she say? Let me see! She didn't break up with you, did she?" His teasing aside, Henry genuinely didn't want to see him heartbroken.
First, because Sterling had finally, after all these years, gotten into a relationship. Second, if they actually broke up over this, he'd owe Sterling an even bigger debt.
He leaned in, trying to get a look.
Sterling pushed his nosy head away with distaste, stood, and walked to the balcony. He lit a cigarette before opening Willow's message.
[I'm sorry. The things my grandmother said were out of line. You're not angry, are you?]
She was worried about his feelings.
Sterling's expression softened. He started typing a reply with one hand, which was slow. Before he could send it, Willow's second message came through.
[Sterling, please wait a little longer for me. After my grandmother's surgery, I'll talk to her properly and get her to accept us.]
Every word betrayed how nervous she'd been sending these messages.
Sterling glanced at the few words he'd typed, frowned slightly, and called her directly instead.
At the hospital.
When no reply came after a while, Willow was starting to worry. Seeing Sterling's incoming call startled her. Once she recovered and saw the name on her screen, she quickly answered.
"I'm not angry." Sterling's voice was slightly hoarse, accompanied by a faint breeze.
Willow relaxed. "You're outside?"
Sterling hummed in confirmation, shamelessly shifting the blame to Henry. "Henry's in a bad mood. He asked me to drink with him. I'm calling you from the balcony."
Eavesdropping at the door, Henry shot him a look of contempt while secretly breathing a sigh of relief. Based on Sterling's tone, they hadn't broken up, right?
Hearing this, Willow wanted to ask whether it was Henry who was in a bad mood or Sterling himself. But remembering her purpose for reaching out, the words died on her lips. If she asked, it would only make both of them feel worse.
"Sterling, I'm not planning to back out. At least not right now. Really—just give me a little more time." Her voice was earnest. "We finally got together. I don't want us to split up like this."
The sound in her ear—whether wind or Sterling's breathing—made her nervous. "I know this might sound selfish, but could I ask you not to take what my grandmother said to heart?"
Whatever dissatisfaction Sterling harbored was swept away by her careful, tentative tone.
"Okay." His deep voice agreed, then offered reassurance. "Take your time. Your original plan was to wait until after your grandmother's surgery to find a way to tell her anyway. We'll just keep things as they were before."
In the late night, Sterling's low voice was particularly comforting.
Willow's anxious heart gradually settled. She thanked him softly. "Thank you, Sterling."
Thank you for being willing to wait. Thank you for not resenting Maria's reaction.
Sterling accepted her gratitude, then found another topic to distract her. After chatting for a while, Willow remembered he was outside and worried he'd catch a cold. She initiated hanging up.
Sterling pocketed his phone and turned around to find Henry standing at the balcony doorway with his arms crossed.
"'Good night'? I didn't know those words were in your vocabulary, Mr. Lancaster. After knowing you all these years, you've never said them to me!"
Henry mimicked his voice with exaggerated mockery.
Sterling walked past him. "I don't sound as nauseating as your impression."
Henry made a face and followed him inside. "Can I go now?"
Sterling was in a good mood and didn't make things difficult, though he still delivered a warning. "If you can't keep Gloria in line, next time I'll discipline her myself."
Privately, Henry would love for him to intervene, but he knew the relationship between their families wasn't that simple. For the sake of his parents' reputation, there were things Sterling couldn't easily do.
"I'll go back tomorrow. She's manipulating even my mom now—I have to deal with this." His tone was resigned.
Sterling said nothing more and let him leave.
Meanwhile.
Having confirmed that Sterling's intentions matched her own, Willow slept well that night.
The next morning, while having breakfast with Maria, she habitually ate only a few bites. When Maria showed concern, she remembered Sterling was no longer at the hospital—she didn't need to save room to eat breakfast with him. She picked up her fork again.
After breakfast, Maria went to her room and came back with a beautiful wooden box.
"The medical bills must be quite expensive. Take this and pawn it. Should fetch several thousand dollars. Use it for now."
Maria opened the box to reveal a beautifully crafted silver bracelet. She explained it had been passed down through the Spencer family. It had been pawned once before when Willow's father was being treated, but Charles had redeemed it.
Willow understood. Maria was making a statement—no matter what, she didn't want to owe Sterling any favors.
"Grandma..." She wanted to say it hadn't come to that yet. She'd earn the money herself.
Maria closed the box and looked up at her. "And quit your job at the Lancaster Group, too."